Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was scheduled to return to Pennsylvania for a rally in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday as both he and Democratic opponent Kamala Harris focus on the key swing state this weekend. File Photo by Allison Dinner/EPA-EFE
Aug. 17 (UPI) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic opponent Kamala Harris will be focusing their attention on Pennsylvania with weekend visits to the vital swing state.
Trump is scheduled to attend a rally at 4 p.m. EDT Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., targeting the northeastern section of the Keystone State, while Harris is set to kick off a bus tour of western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh on Sunday, a day before the start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Trump on Monday is scheduled to be in York, Pa., at a machining manufacturer to address the economy.
Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is scheduled to appear Saturday at a 2 p.m. EDT rally in his native state of Nebraska. The event is planned for the Astro Theater in Omaha.
Trump is a frequent visitor to Pennsylvania — Saturday’s scheduled rally will mark his seventh visit to the state this year and at least the fifth time he’s appeared in Wilkes-Barre since 2016, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. President Joe Biden won that state in 2020 but Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
With a pair of recent polls showing Harris edging past him in Pennsylvania, Trump has used his recent appearances to paint her and Walz as “extreme liberals” and “communists” while hurling personal insults at the Democratic nominee.
He excoriated Harris during a Wednesday rally in Ashville, N.C., as a “radical-left person from San Francisco,” claiming she and Walz are “beyond socialists,” while insulting her personally as “not intelligent.” He doubled down on the personal insult later in the week and claimed he is “entitled” to do so.
Trump also said this week he believes Harris is vulnerable in Pennsylvania due to her past support for a ban on natural gas produced by hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.”
Over the past decade, advances in fracking and horizontal drilling have led to a boom in the state’s oil and gas production. In 2022, Pennsylvania accounted for 19% of U.S. marketed natural gas production, with more natural gas produced than in any other state except Texas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency.
While running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, Harris along with most of her competitors aligned themselves with the progressive wing of the party in supporting a ban on fracking as an environmental danger. Harris has since altered her position and now claims Trump is misrepresenting it.
During an appearance at his New Jersey country club on Thursday, Trump again highlighted the vice president’s one-time opposition to fracking, saying, “I think she will do very badly in Pennsylvania. You have to frack.”
Demonstrating the importance the Trump campaign places on Pennsylvania, it proposed that two debates between the GOP nominee and Harris be held in the state. One of them so far has been approved by both sides — a live televised debate in Philadelphia on Sept. 10 to be broadcast on ABC.
A Pennsylvania court ruling is reshaping abortion access in the state, striking down a decades-old ban on using Medicaid to pay for abortions and declaring that the Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees a right to abortion.
The decision came Monday from the state’s Commonwealth Court. In a 4-3 vote, judges ruled in favor of abortion rights in Pennsylvania and invalidated the state’s restriction on Medicaid-funded abortions.
Local abortion-rights advocates praised the ruling as a major step toward protecting access for low-income residents. Adrienne Daily, co-founder of Johnstown for Choice, said, “Everybody should have the right to that. If you restrict the coverage, you’re obviously discriminating against those that have lower income.”
Opponents of abortion rights called the decision a dramatic expansion of the court’s power and warned it will force taxpayers to pay for procedures they oppose. Michael Geer, president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute, said, “Taxpayers now in Pennsylvania will have no choice under this court ruling to fund abortions. And there are many, many millions of Pennsylvanians who think abortion is wrong. It’s the taking of an innocent human life and to force taxpayers who conscientiously object to abortion to then fund it is just plain wrong.”
Abortion-rights advocates pushed back, arguing abortion access is healthcare and a personal decision. Daily said, “This is a family issue. This is a personal issue. This is a bodily autonomy issue.”
Pro-life leaders also warned the ruling could have broader implications for other abortion-related laws. Geer said, “It is sweeping and there’s no question it’s judicial overreach.” He added, “If this ruling stands, it will invite attacks on every remaining pro-life safeguard that has been put into law by lawmakers at the behest to the people of Pennsylvania over decades.”
The case could still be appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. That decision lies with Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday. His office has not provided a response, but the Associated Press reported a spokesperson said the office is reviewing the decision and did not say whether it will appeal.
Johnstown, Pa. (WJAC) — The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just released this year’s list of inductees, and a new clothing store just opened in the Johnstown Galleria.
What do these two things have in common?
If you grew up listening to 90’s hip-hop, then you’re probably familiar with the Wu-Tang Clan.
Wu-Tang Clan member opens clothing store in Pennsylvania (WJAC)
They said, “We’re in the building right now, we’re out in Johnstown making it happen, fashion and rapping, and Wu-Tang, you already know Wu-Tang is the witty, unpredictable talent and natural game. So, it’s all grassroots with us, man. We do everything from scratch.”
They’re being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, and Darryl Hill, aka Cappadonna, and manager Al “Heck” Felder are opening the Pillage, a clothing store in the Johnstown Galleria, selling apparel with a purpose.
Cappadonna said, “‘Cappadonna,’ that stands for ‘Consider All Poor People Acceptable, Don’t Oppress Nor Neglect Anyone,’ and we stand on that.”
They were introduced to mall owner Leo Karruli through Mustafa Curry, a childhood friend from New York, who owns a store on Main Street in Johnstown.
Heck said, “BK Styles, I’ve got to give a shout out to my boy, Mustafa. They’ve got some apparel down there, too. We’re all over. We’re spreading the word and we’re spreading the love.”
Wu-Tang Clan member opens clothing store in Pennsylvania (WJAC)
Their other clothing line, Angry Elephant, promotes being good stewards of the Earth, with a portion of the proceeds protecting the animals from poachers.
They said they believe in always putting God and family first.
Cappadonna said, “When you recognize the God in us, then you can see the God in you.”
They said they want kids to know that violence is not the answer, and it doesn’t cost anything to be kind.
Cappadonna said, “We just want to say that it’s nice to be important, but it’s even more important to be nice.”
A mother and her six children died when their Central Pennsylvania home exploded and caught on fire Sunday morning, state police said.
The explosion and fire happened at around 8:30 a.m. at a home on Long Run Road in Lamar Township, Clinton County, which is roughly 35 miles from State College. Crews arrived on the scene and found the home fully engulfed in flames, with the mother and her six children trapped.
State police identified the 34-year-old woman who died in the fire as Sarah B. Stolzfus. Her 11-year-old son, 10-year-old son, 8-year-old daughter, 6-year-old daughter, 5-year-old son and 3-year-old son also died in the blaze, according to state police.
A propane leak inside the house might’ve caused the explosion and fire, state police said. Propane tanks outside the home did not explode or contribute to the fire, according to state police.
The explosion and fire are under investigation by state police.
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